So I just got back from showing Brewer in a Long Stirrup class. He has only been back in work for 8 months, and I had asked not to use him for the show, but was told that all the other horses were taken. I had never even done a course with him, he has terrible allergies, and I was not excited. But this morning he did really well in my lesson, so I got excited again.

But... at my show, during the first two flat classes he kept tripping over nothing, throwing his head down to cough loudly (like literally ever 10 seconds). Every time he would do this, he would hump his back up, tossing me around no matter how hard I tried. And I'd lose my diagonal every time. I didn't pin in any flat classes. Afterwards, my trainer said the fact that I was chewing gum hurt me a lot too, and I take full responsability for that and now I know that gum is a nono haha. Before I didn't, I just chew gum all the time and don't even notice. But I wont ever do that again! But even if I hadnt been, I dont think we would have pinned anyway. No matter how strongly I asked, he wouldn't pick up the correct lead canter, he threw his head up and snorted if I tried to take him off the rail to get him off another horse's butt, so I just tried to go deep in the corners and slow down cause I didn't want to make a scene fighting with him (Question: Which is worse?).

Then it got from bad to worse. In my jump class, there was a huge puddle before one of the fences. It was messing up a lot of horses, when they'd canter through theyd get confused and stop and have to again. Brewer was no exception, but I wasn't too too upset because it had happened to almost everyone. So we got over that after one refusal, and then did a diagonal line. That was fine except he overjumped incredibly on both of them. After that, it was a right turn to an outside line on the right long side. We made the lead change, were going, going, and right before the turn to the line, he stopped. I went flying. I dont know why he stopped and neither does my trainer. He then refused the jump 2 more times, so I went at it at a trot (by this time I was probably disqualified but I wanted to keep going)

He wouldnt trot, he had figured out he wasnt wearing a martingale and was taking advantage of it. I heard the judge going just trot it just trot it and it was just embarassing and I was trying but he wasnt listening! I finally got him to trot and we finished the course with a tremedous overjump.

It was terrible. I knew he wasn't ready.

Nita

07-24-2009 10:14 PM

aww I'm sorry. It sucks that you knew, too. Don't worry about it though, it's not your fault that he wasn't ready for the show. Just be glad that you got through it without an injury or something, sounds like to me.

*hugs* It'll be better next time. I promise. ;)

minniesgirl713

08-19-2009 08:32 PM

Hey i give you props though for sticking with it and finishing your course. I see way to many girls just give up after one refusal and then complain as to why they didnt pin any ribbons. So good job for sticking in there and hopefully it will be better next time. Just keep thinking the best:)

anrz

08-19-2009 09:34 PM

Sorry that you had a bad show :(. My last show was something like that- I was tacking up in the barn and didn't know that the show was running about an hour ahead of time, so I had to run up the hill to the arena with NO warm-up and hop on. I didn't have time to check my stirrups so they were too short even for jumping, let alone dressage. It sucked. And then I had a horse refuse three times at a gate jump in one course, and then refuse once in every single class. I know how you feel- hopefully the next one will be better!